Oh, please.

[icepixie]

RTD: Alien planets are "too expensive."

And a Slitheen ship crashing into Big Ben isn't? Or a massive CGI wereworlf? Or the sun blowing up and incinerating the Earth? I'm sorry, that doesn't fly. Try again.


P.S. Avast, me hearties! *walks around with peg leg and parrot*

Comments

[elflore.livejournal.com]

I know we've talked this one before, but...I think the article's probably making a bigger deal of this than it really warrants. I don't think RTD is saying we're going to get less alien planets than we have, just that we won't get more...and after a season that gave us New Earth and a 2-parter on the Impossible Planet, plus that gorgeous shot at the beginning of Army of Ghosts, I'm not feeling *too* stranded on Earth. And I'll sacrifice an alien planet or two if it gives me a werewolf (as you pointed out), or the Doctor on horseback crashing through a mirror (a moment they almost had to cut, until they found they could do some other episodes more cheaply).

I found it particularly interesting, though, that he says the ratings are always lower for unearthly eps. Hmmm. Might be sadly true--he probably has a point about the niche market of even Star Trek and Star Wars. I think, too, whether because we're scifi geeks or Americans we think of Doctor Who as science fiction, whereas to a lot of Brits I think it might be more fantasy-horror, closer to Buffy than Trek.

In any case, I have to say...I don't know that any alien planet could get me half as excited as I'm to know they shot part of the Shakespeare ep for next season at the Globe!

[icepixie]

Yeah, we've been over this, and I don't think either of us will change our opinions. *g* I was irritated at that gorgeous AoG shot, because how hard would it be to have that as an establishing shot, and then shoot everything else indoors for an episode?

he says the ratings are always lower for unearthly eps

I just boggle at this. Are there really people out there who will watch a CGI werewolf or CGI Teacher!Bats, but can't deal with a spooky story set on a far-out space station? Are they really that shallow?

I think, too, whether because we're scifi geeks or Americans we think of Doctor Who as science fiction, whereas to a lot of Brits I think it might be more fantasy-horror, closer to Buffy than Trek.

I see what you're saying, I think. And yet something like TIP/TSP was superficially rather similar to some Buffy eps I've seen, so I still don't get the alien planets = bad meme. Star Trek forehead aliens, sure; I can see why people who automatically hate that kind of stuff would be turned off. (Much as I disagree with them. But that's another debate.) But it's not like DW has ever tried to make its aliens look very alien...

Shakespeare does sound excellent, though.

[elflore.livejournal.com]

AoG World: But if you don't have a story to backup those images, and if you can't make an interior as wondrous as the exterior...wouldn't that be just as much of a copout, and maybe more? I rather like just imagining that world for myself. Letting it tease out ideas and stories in my head.

Ratings: People that shallow? I may believe people are capable of the best, but I never really underestimate their shallowness either, especially when it comes to TV. *snerk* And I think certainly in American TV, the sci fi stigma is pretty broad. I find it fascinating how Lost has managed to go so huge and so mainstream, because it pitched itself as a slightly weird survival drama and stays rooted in the people...they sneak the scifi elements in the back door, so people don't freak and run away like they do from Trek or Stargate...or even BSG, which itself does better than a lot of SciFi shows by avoiding aliens and minimalizing the robots. (Which is not knocking Lost, which I adore of course, just saying I find it interesting the little differences which make a show marketable.)

[icepixie]

But if you don't have a story to backup those images, and if you can't make an interior as wondrous as the exterior...wouldn't that be just as much of a copout, and maybe more?

Yes, but my point is that it is possible to use that as an exeterior shot and tehn have a story set indoors on an alien planet, with aliens, taking the place of one of the many modern-day-Earth stories. I just feel like with Old Who--let's say Fourth or Fifth Doctor era, since I've seen the most of those--the ones set in 1970s or 1980s England were more special because they were rarer than they are now. (Maybe that's just the impression I've gotten with my scattershot viewing of them.)

Lost: Lost is sci-fi? Huh. Shows how well their marketing campaign is working, I suppose. ;)

[elflore.livejournal.com]

I'm still not sure the balance of alien and Earthly stories is so different. The 4th Doctor probably was on alien worlds more, but the 5th Doctor was on Earth a lot. The 7th Doctor was a heck of a lot, especially in his final season. And I think the "1970s or 80s England" comment is key...the new series does a fair number of Earth stories that aren't the present decade, and aren't always in England, either...

Lost: Yeah...it's got monsters in the jungle and strange electromagnetic fields and hints of telepathy and possibly telekinesis...it's subtle, sort of Twilight Zone, but I'd definitely call it scifi.